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How to rock different facial-hair styles ft. Miaow Meow the cat by Rohan Dutt

G’day gents! Fair warning, this article will be slightly unorthodox in nature, applying to some males more than others…and possibly some females who are looking to ‘doll up’ their man.

Simply put, some guys can pull off the beard-look while others cannot. I attempted to outgrow my cat with my beard…but clearly he wasn’t impressed! Personally, I despised my beard. In general, growing a beard requires an enormous amount of patience, commitment and honestly it wasn’t my thing. Needless to say, my mother almost had a stroke when we Face-Timed each other!

However, from this tedious experience, I learned that there is no ‘perfect’ facial-hair style that works for everyone. The best look depends on your features, primarily the shape of your face.

Similar to one’s hairstyle, facial hair can be an extension of one’s personality. Men can use facial hair as a tool to supplement and add dimension to their physical appearance; while simultaneously expressing their personality. For example, facial-hair can hide imperfections and give off the illusion that one’s face is more angular than it really is! This works particularly well if you have an ovular-shaped or symmetrical face. In reality, most faces are asymmetrical so growing a beard which covers half of your face can hide these flaws.

In addition, facial-hair can add definition to your face to pronounce your jawline too. With that being said, gentlemen, identify your face shape before you pick your facial-hair style. Why? Because a style that compliments a square-faced male may not compliment someone with a round-shaped face in the same way.

Take my face for example; when clean shaven it appears that I have a diamond-shaped face. The widest part of my face is my cheekbone region and the narrowest is my slightly pointy chin. For diamond-shaped faces like mine, I recommend keeping a stubble, short- beard or a goatee to help square off and broaden the chin. This balances the width-length ratio of my face, offsetting my wide cheekbone areas.

Another common facial structure for men is the oval-shaped face. In my opinion, men with oval-shaped faces are blessed because most facial-hair styles usually look good with this face shape. You could pull off a beard, moustaches, goatees and even scruffy stubbles. George Clooney is a prime example of someone with a great oval-shaped face. No wonder he has such a beautiful wife!

As for round-shaped faces, one’s cheeks are generally fuller, with a roughly similar width-length ratio. In
this scenario, your aim would be to elongate the bottom of your face to make it appear more ovular. This can be achieved by cutting closer on the sides, and keeping it longer at the bottom, possibly by growing a goatee.

Finally, square-shaped faces, like Beckham’s, are when the angle of the jaw is sharp, and guidelines for facial hair are very similar to that of round-shaped faced individuals. Growing a beard with short sides and a clean neck can help enhance the square jawline—though a scruffy beard, goatee or moustache can be quite flattering too.

Remember gentlemen, these are just recommendations and are not the only styles that work for each face shape. It is important to reinforce that your facial features play a huge part in determining the style most suited to you. Rocking facial hair is an art and not a science, so don’t be afraid to experiment! Facial-hair can be shaved and regrown within a few days (*speed of growth depends on genetics*) so there are endless opportunities to try various different facial-hair styles! I personally like to line my stubble with my hair so the length is almost the same in proportion and thickness.

Ultimately, facial-hair may not be your thing and that’s totally fine. At times I like to stay clean shaven because it makes me feel fresh (and my mother doesn’t complain either). My advice regardless is to invest in a trimmer. True style is about expressing your personality and preference by adding flair to your look.